The Best True Crime Documentaries to Stream Now

Some documentaries aren’t exactly for the faint of heart.

Though many true crime documentaries and docuseries tell a cautionary tale, they can also leave your mind racing and send a chill down your spine. But with so many streaming services to choose from, and numerous options on each platform, it can be hard to narrow down what to watch.

Featuring financial crimes, mysterious murders, cults and notorious serial killers, here are some of the best true crime documentaries to stream now.

A Deadly American Marriage

Netflix’s latest true crime documentary revisits the mysterious death of Jason Corbettan Irish widower who married Molly Martens just a month after losing his first wife. When Corbett was found brutally murdered in their North Carolina home in August 2015, the case led to a series of damning accusations toward him, his second wife and their family. A Deadly American Marriage sets out to shed “a bright light on the many questions that have lingered since the shocking events of that night.”

Watch A Deadly American Marriage on Netflix on May 9

Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing

Starting her social media career at 8 years old, internet celebrity Piper Rockelle built a multimillion-dollar empire through viral challenges, staged pranks and seemingly innocent “crush content” with her friends. But as Netflix’s three-part docuseries reveals, Rockelle’s “Squad” was an artificially designed group of kid actors — many of whom went on to allege physical, emotional and sexual abuse from Rockelle’s mom/manager, Tiffany Smith. Bad Influence unpacks Rockelle’s case to expose the dark underbelly of child influencers and the adults who profit from their fame.

Watch Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing on Netflix

Spy High

When 15-year-old Blake Robbins and his classmates received school-issued laptops to use at home, the last thing he expected was for it to be used against him: The school captured a webcam photo of him in his room handling Mike and Ike candy and accused him of selling drugs. Spy High explores the infamous “WebcamGate” over four episodes, with executive producer Mark Wahlberg calling it “a reminder that our kids’ digital lives are constantly under surveillance.”

Watch Spy High on Amazon Prime Video

Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke

Ruby Franke built a following of more than 2.5 million subscribers on her 8 Passengers YouTube channel, crafting a picture-perfect image of her Mormon family — until her strict parenting methods started raising red flags. In August 2023, Ruby and her podcasting partner, Jodi Hildebrandtwere arrested and later charged with four counts of aggravated child abuse (facing prison sentences ranging from 4 to 60 years). Now, in Hulu’s three-part docuseriesRuby’s husband Kevinand their two oldest children, Shari and Chadshare their side of the story for the first time on camera.

Watch Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke on Hulu

American Murder: Gabby Petito

For couple vloggers Petito Gabby and Brian Laundrietheir “van life” adventures painted a perfect picture on social media — but the reality behind the filter was far more disturbing. Three years after Petito was found strangled to death by Laundriea new Netflix docuseries unpacks the case that gripped the nationretracing the couple’s final days and unveiling the chilling secrets they kept off camera.

Watch American Murder: Gabby Petito on Netflix

The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga

In 2013, poisoned letters were sent to President Barack Obamaa U.S. senator and a judge, and investigators immediately honed in on their prime suspect: Paul Kevin Curtisan Elvis Presley impersonator from Tupelo, Miss. Now, more than a decade later, Curtis shares his side of the story in this three-part Netflix docuseriesrevealing how he became entangled in a bizarre conspiracy after discovering severed body parts in a hospital refrigerator.

Watch The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga on Netflix

Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey

On the morning after Christmas in 1996, 6-year-old pageant star Jonbenét Ramsey was found beaten, sexually assaulted and strangled to death in the basement of her family’s home in Boulder, Colo. Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey revisits the incompetent investigation by the Boulder Police Department and how media sensationalism influenced the public’s perception of the case, while examining several suspects, such as JonBenét’s parents Patsy and John Ramsey.

Watch Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey on Netflix

Making Manson

If you think you know the story of Charles Manson — one of America’s most notorious cult leaders, who spent time behind bars before orchestrating a mass killing spree in 1969 — get ready for a direct line to the man himself. Peacock’s three-part docuseries unveils 20 years worth of unheard conversations with Mansonwhere he candidly reflects on his crimes, as well as his brutal upbringing, checkered youth and unfiltered thoughts on the “Manson Family.”

Watch Making Manson on Peacock

Chris Brown: A History of Violence

Chris Brown made headlines in 2009 after physically assaulting then-girlfriend Rihanna (resulting in felony charges and a plea deal that included community service, five years probation and counseling), however, this incident was only the beginning. As part of ID Network’s “No Excuse for Abuse” campaign, this documentary delves into the numerous allegations against Brown, examining his troubling pattern of abuse spanning more than a decade and how he managed to maintain success during it.

Watch Chris Brown: A History of Violence on Max

The Menéndez Brothers

In light of the controversy surrounding Ryan Murphy’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Storythe Menéndez brothers are getting to share their side of things for the first time in 30 years. This Netflix documentary dives into their 1989 crime — killing their parents, José and Kitty Menéndezafter alleging years of sexual abuse — and the high-profile trial that followed, featuring exclusive audio interviews with Lyle and Erik from California’s Donovan Correctional Facility.

Watch The Menéndez Brothers on Netflix

American Murder: Laci Peterson

American Murder: Laci Peterson goes deep into the heartbreaking case of Laci Petersonwho went missing just before Christmas 2002 while eight months pregnant. Her body was discovered months later, just one day after the remains of her unborn child, Conner, were found. Despite his claims of innocence, her husband, Scott Petersonwas convicted of her murder in 2004. This three-part docuseries paints a fuller picture of Laci’s life and untimely death, featuring rare interviews with her mother Sharon Rochaand Scott’s former mistress, Amber Frey.

Watch American Murder: Laci Peterson on Netflix

Face to Face with Scott Peterson

After you’ve wrapped up American Murder: Laci Peterson on Netflix, switch over to Peacock for Scott Peterson’s first on-camera interview since 2003. This three-part docuseries gives a new perspective on Peterson’s case, provides a glimpse into his version of events and features an exclusive video chat with the former Modesto, Calif., fertilizer salesperson — now serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Watch Face to Face with Scott Peterson on Peacock

Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam

Boy bands were all the rage in the ’90s and Lou Pearlman was the puppet master behind some of the biggest acts (*NSYNC, Backstreet Boys and O-Town). Though he engineered their meteoric ascent to stardom, he was willing to break them apart by skimping on their pay. This three-episode docuseries delves into the rise and fall of Pearlman — who pleaded guilty to conspiracy, money laundering and other crimes before he died in 2016 — while featuring interviews with figures such as Chris Kirkpatrick, AJ McLean and more.

Watch Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam on Netflix

Mafia Spies

Based on the eponymous 2019 exposéthis six-episode docuseries uncovers the covert plot between the CIA and the Chicago mafia to eliminate Fidel Castro during the Cold War. What follows is an epic cat-and-mouse chase stretching from America to Cuba, delving into the clandestine ties among the CIA, the mob and Frank Sinatra‘s Rat Pack.

Watch Mafia Spies on Paramount+

Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini

In November 2016, Sherri Papini disappeared during her morning jog and resurfaced three weeks later with a far-fetched tale of being abducted by two random Hispanic women. For four years, her story baffled investigatorsuntil one day they finally got their answer: Sherri faked her own kidnapping. Over three episodes, this Hulu docuseries examines the case, featuring interviews with those closest to it — including her ex-husband, Keithwho shares his side of the story for the first time.

Watch Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini is hulu

Tell Them You Love Me

Exploring themes of power dynamics, race and disability, Tell Them You Love Me digs into the controversial case of Anna Stubblefielda former white college professor who proclaimed her love for a nonverbal Black man with cerebral palsy. The affair ignited a firestorm once the man’s mother argued he was incapable of consent, leading to a court case that saw Stubblefield convicted on two counts of sexual assault and sentenced to prison — only to have the court’s decision later reversed when it was ruled she did not get a fair trial.

Watch Tell Them You Love Me on Netflix

Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult

As tiktok teaers on the brink of a U.S. banNetflix delivers a hard-hitting three-part docuseries that dives into a dark corner of the billion-dollar app. Directed by Derek Doneen, Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult tells the unsettling story of young dancer Miranda Wilking, who signed up with a management company called 7M, which turned out to be a religious cult led by Robert Shinn — who’s facing allegations such as sexual abuse and coercing members into cutting off contact with their families.

Watch Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult on Netflix

The Jinx

In HBO’s Emmy-winning 2015 docuseries, director Andrew Jarecki sat down with wealthy New York City real estate heir Robert Durstinterviewing him about the three murders he was accused of (to which he shockingly confessed on camera). Now, nearly a decade later, HBO revisits the aftermath and shares what happened next — chronicling Durst’s life sentence and his death at age 78 in January 2022 — in Part Two.

Watch The Jinx on Max

Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV

Ever since Jennette McCurdy‘s 2022 memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died, exposed the toxic culture of the Nickelodeon empire and child stardom, other whistleblowers have stepped forward with additional revelations about the behind-the-scenes workings of the children’s TV network. In this four-part docuseries (with a bonus episode that aired April 7), former child stars — including Drake & Josh‘s Drake Bell, Zoey 101‘s Alexa Nicolas — and crew members reflect on their experiences working with producer Dan Schneiderinappropriate actions both on- and off-screen and the untold stories of child actors being abused.

Watch Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV on Max

The Synanon Fix

During the late 1950s, Alcoholics Anonymous member Charles “Chuck” Dederich established a rehabilitation program now known as the “Church of Synanon” to aid people with drug addictions. Featuring exclusive archival footage and interviews with former members — including Dederich’s daughter — HBO’s four-part docuseries, The Synanon Fixdelves into the program’s transformation into a cult-like movement, with practices such as forced vasectomies, abortions, divorces and more.

Watch The Synanon Fix on Max

American Nightmare

When Aaron Quinn reported the implausible abduction of girlfriend Denise Huskins to the police in 2015, he found himself initially cast as the prime suspect, only to witness a jolting reversal as they — along with the media — shifted the responsibility onto her, accusing her of orchestrating a Gone Girl-style smokescreen. A three-part docuseries, American Nightmare dives headfirst into several thought-provoking issues, such as victim blaming and the glaring inadequacies in our criminal justice system.

Watch American Nightmare on Netflix

Hawk

Featuring exclusive interviews with the survivors, the 2023 documentary from CNN Films and Max explores the most bizzare mass kidnapping of all-time. In in Chowchilla, Calif., three masked men hijacked a bus carrying 26 school children — demanding a $5 million ransom — before loading them into soundproofed vans that drove them to the underground chamber where they were buried alive.

Watch Hawk on Max

#CyberSleuths: The Idaho Murders

Found stabbed to death in their off-campus residence on Nov. 13, 2022, four murdered students from the University of Idaho sparked the interest of an amateur TikTok sleuth team — spearheaded by @chroniclesofolivia — determined to bring the truth to light. As they combed through digital evidence, visited the crime scene, shared their theories online and surveyed police statements, this crew of true crime content creators is at the heart of this three-part Paramount+ docuseries, which ponders whether their efforts did more damage than good.

Watch #CyberSleuths: The Idaho Murders on Paramount+

The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard

Having served eight years of her 10-year prison sentence for her role in the killing of her mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee,” Gypsy Rose Blanchard — a survivor of Munchausen by proxy — was granted early release on Dec. 28, 2023, catapulting her story back into the limelight. In a six-part Lifetime docuseriesBlanchard candidly shares her story in a tell-all interview conducted before her release. “As a survivor of relentless child abuse, this docuseries chronicles my quest for liberation and journey through self-discovery,” she states in a trailer. “I am unapologetically myself and unafraid to expose the hidden parts of my life that have never been revealed until now.”

Watch The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard on MyLifetime

The Curious Case of Natalia Grace

It’s the story that left the world in disbelief. This ID documentary series follows Michael and Kristine Barnettthe white-picket-fence couple who adopt a young Ukrainian girl with dwarfism, Nataliaand accuse her of being an adult masquerading as a 6-year-old. However, the saga unearths new layers in the second season as Natalia shares her harrowing experiences with her adoptive parents and has a face-to-face confrontation with Michael.

Watch The Curious Case of Natalia Grace on Max

The Matthew Shepard Story: An American Hate Crime

Marking the 25th anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s tragic deathID Discovery’s two-hour documentary pays tribute to the life and enduring impact of the gay college student who was brutally attacked and left for dead — a heinous act that ignited a nationwide conversation about the discrimination and violence confronting many LGBTQ Americans. The Matthew Shepard Story: An American Hate Crime features interviews from journalists, Shepard’s loved ones and influential figures who were affected by the story, such as Rosie O’Donnell, Andrew Rannells and Adam Lambert.

Watch The Matthew Shepard Story: An American Hate Crime on Max

Scout’s Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America

Directed by renowned filmmaker Brian Knappenberger (We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists, The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez), this documentary delves beneath the happy-camper veneer of the Boy Scouts of America. Scouts Honor exposes the organization’s history of sexual abuseas revealed through interviews with former staff members, whistleblowers and survivors.

Watch Scout’s Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America on Netflix

People Magazine Investigates

Check out the gripping world of true crime with PEOPLE’s own docuseries as it delves into headline-worthy stories through exclusive interviews and new evidence, uncovering shocking revelations. The show’s seventh season kicked off with a compelling episode recounting the 1977 murders of three Oklahoma Girl Scouts.

Watch People Magazine Investigates on Max

Last Call: When A Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York

Based on Elon Green’s nonfiction bookHBO’s gripping docuseries highlights the terror inflicted upon LGBTQ nightlife by a serial killer during the 1990s. This four-part saga delves into the systemic oppression prevalent during the time of the AIDS crisis and the efforts made by queer activists to seek justice for the victims.

Watch Last Call: When A Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York on Max

Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets

This four-part docuseries takes an in-depth exploration of the Duggars — one of reality TV’s most prominent families who were at the forefront of TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting — and the cultish practices of their religious organization, Institute in Basic Life Principles. Exposing the household’s disturbing secrets that never made it on screen, Shiny Happy People touches on serious subjects such as sexual abuse, child pornography and religious trauma.

Watch Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets on Amazon Prime Video

American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing

Timed accordingly to the 10-year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing, this 2023 docuseries looks closer into the domestic terrorist attack. Using archival footage, personal accounts and reenactments, American Manhunt discusses the two brothers responsible for the explosions near the finish line that killed three people and injured hundreds of others.

Watch American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing on Netflix

Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal

After Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh, 52, and her son, Paul Murdaugh, 22, were found murdered at their hunting lodge in June 2021, their family’s veiled history of corruption began to surface. This 2023 docuseries centers on the MurdaughsSouth Carolina’s illustrious legal dynasty, whose members were tied to multiple homicides, financial fraud and other alleged crimes. Eerily timely, shortly after this series came out, Alex Murdaugh was found guilty of Maggie and Paul’s murders and sentenced to two life sentences in prison.

Watch Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal on Netflix

Waco: American Apocalypse

Self-declared prophet David Koresh indoctrinated a group of people living in Waco, Texas — notoriously known as the Branch Davidians — to believe the rapture was nearing and how they needed to ambush the U.S. government. Directed by Night Stalker‘s Tiller Russellthis three-part limited series narrates the events that lead up to one of the most infamous and fatal police sieges in American history.

Watch Waco: American Apocalypse on Netflix

Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence

Stolen Youth chronicles the disturbing case of Larry Raya man who lured his daughter’s college roommates into a sex cult. Over three hour-long parts, Hulu gets a closer look with personal accounts and unseen footage from Ray and the survivors.

Watch Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence is hulu

Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street

Bernie Madoff defrauded global investors for decades, but eventually got caught. Netflix’s 2023 docuseries investigates the story of the man behind one of the most notorious Ponzi schemes on Wall Street that defrauded investors of billions of dollars over two decades.

Watch Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street on Netflix

I Am Vanessa Guillen

I Am Vanessa Guillen shows what happened after the 2020 murder of U.S. Army soldier Vanessa Guillén. Her death garnered international attention after reports said she had been sexually harassed multiple times by a supervisor. This 2022 documentary features interviews with Guillén’s family and their fight for answers and action, including the passage of the congressional “I Am Vanessa Guillén Act“, which revamped the way sexual harassment and assault cases are investigated in the military.

Watch I Am Vanessa Guillen on Netflix

Capturing the Killer Nurse

Intensive care unit nurse Charles Cullen confessed to killing at least 40 patients across various hospitals in 2003, but he almost got away with it. This 2022 documentary film gives an inside look into how investigators proved their case. After you’ve watched Capturing the Killer Nursewatch its equally chilling dramatization, The Good Nursestarring Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain.

Watch Capturing the Killer Nurse on Netflix

Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey

The rise and fall of Warren Jeffsthe disgraced ex-president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is chronicled in this four-part docuseries. The show includes stories from survivors and former members of the polygamy-practicing group. (The LDS church has said the FLDS has no affiliation with the wider church.) Jeffs married as many as 78 wives, including 24 underage girls, and oversaw the abuse of other women and children before his subsequent arrest and conviction.

Watch Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey on Netflix

The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist

The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist chronicles the real-life burglaries at celebrity homes in 2008 and 2009. The story was dramatized in Sofia Coppola‘s The Bling Ring in 2013. Original group members Alexis Haines (née Neiers) and Nick Prugo recall their experiences in this three-part series.

Watch The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist on Netflix

Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer

Ted Bundy‘s long-term girlfriend Elizabeth Kendall and other survivors came forward for the first time to participate in this five-part docuseries, framing his infamous crimes from a female perspective. With an emphasis on the victims, Falling for a Killer uses archival video footage, original photographs and new interviews to investigate the serial killer’s attitude toward women.

Watch Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer on Amazon Prime Video

The Tinder Swindler

This 2022 docuseries tells the story of conman Simon Leviev (born Shimon Hayut), who swindled an estimated $10 million from people around the world. Presenting himself as the son of a Russian-Israeli diamond mogul, Hayut used Tinder to manipulate women into financially supporting his extravagant lifestyle, all while pretending he needed the money to escape his “enemies.”

Watch The Tinder Swindler on Netflix

Our Father

Our Father begins with one woman’s at-home DNA test, which revealed that she had multiple half-siblings, all with the same father. Former Indianapolis fertility doctor Donald Cline inseminated unsuspecting patients with his own sperm in the ’70s and ’80s and is confirmed to be the biological father to more than 90 children, many of whom were interviewed for this 2022 documentary.

Watch Our Father on Netflix

John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise

Told through the words of the serial killer himself, John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise chronicles his horrifying crimes. Using 1992 interview footage of Gacy — filmed two years before his execution — this docuseries goes into his past and the investigation that led to his arrest.

Watch John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise on Peacock

Athlete A

This 2020 documentary covers the survivors of abuse by former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar and how the investigative team at The Indianapolis Star first broke the story. Through interviews with survivors and journalists, Athlete A reveals how USAG covered up Nassar’s abuse for years before it was brought to light.

Watch Athlete A on Netflix

The Way Down: God, Greed and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin

This five-part docuseries follows Gwen Shamblin Larafounder of the Weigh Down Workshop diet program and the new Christian group The Remnant Fellowship. Shamblin Lara, who died in a plane crash while The Way Down was in post-production, was convinced that God had given her “the key to permanent weight control.”

Watch The Way Down: God, Greed and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin on Max

Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives.

This four-part documentary series follows the downfall of Sarma Melngailonce the chef and owner of the popular New York City vegan restaurant Pure Food and Wine, before she met and married a con artist. Anthony Strangiswho went by Shane Fox, coerced Melngailis into transferring $1.6 million to him from the business so they could become “immortal,” leaving the business nearly bankrupt.

Watch Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. on Netflix

Allen v. Farrow

The four-part docuseries Allen v. Farrow revisits the allegations of sexual abuse against Woody Allen by his daughter Dylan Farrowwhom he adopted with actress Mia Farrow. The director has denounced the serieswhich also documents his fallout with Mia and their custody trial, as well as his relationship with Mia’s daughter, Soon-Yi Previnwhom he married in 1997.

Watch Allen v. Farrow on Max

Sins of Our Mother

Lori Vallow was a devoted mother — until she met fifth husband Chad Daybellwho indoctrinated Vallow with extreme doomsday beliefs. Lori and Daybell have been accused of murdering two of her children, Tylee Ryan and J.J. Vallow. In this three-part series, Lori’s friends and family, including her son Colby Ryanopen up about the events leading up to Tylee and J.J.’s death.

Watch Sins of Our Mother on Netflix

Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer

In mid-1980s Los Angeles, serial killer Richard Ramirez lurked at night for victims to torture and murder. The crimes and eventual arrest of Ramirez, known as the “Night Stalker,” are documented in this chilling four-part series.

Watch Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer on Netflix

Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story

Produced by brothers Anthony and Joe Russothis three-part series will leave you feeling spooked. Seven years after disappearing from his California home, 14-year-old Steven Stayner escapes his kidnapper and returns to his family. Years later, the Stayner family were again thrust into the spotlight following the horrific crimes of Steven’s serial killer brother, Cary Stayner.

Watch Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story is hulu